WI Concealed carry requests on pace to be up slightly after CO shooting

BROOKFIELD -- In the wake of the mass shooting incident in Colorado, the number of requests for concealed carry permits this week in Wisconsin is on pace to be the highest of the month. 

From Sunday to Wednesday, 1,333 permit requests were already received by the Wisconsin Department of Justice.  In contrast, 1,366 permits were requested between July 15th and July 21st.  From July 8th to July 14th, the DOJ received 879 permit requests. 

A DOJ spokeswoman tells FOX6 News she wouldn't call this "a spike" and says it's within the normal range of fluctuation.

At gun ranges near Milwaukee, there hasn't been a spike in foot traffic this week.  However, gun advocates say that violent night in Colorado will convince some to bear arms.

"If there's some trigger that makes people think about the idea of being able to defend themselves, yes, they go out and buy more guns and get more concealed carry licenses," James Fendry , founder of the Wisconsin's Pro-Gun Movement said.

State Representative Fred Kessler says his time spent as a Milwaukee County judge formed his opposition to concealed carry.

"What I saw was that the easily hidden weapons were used in family arguments and so many people were unnecessarily killed," Kessler said.

The state of Wisconsin began allowing people to carry concealed guns in November. Since then, the state Department of Justice says they've printed over 118,000 permits. Residents are still applying at a rate of 1,000 to 1,500 every week.

Wisconsin's DOJ hosted a public forum in Pewaukee Wednesday, July 24th, where people could voice their opinions regarding what type and how much training should be offered when someone is granted a concealed carry permit.

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